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Tuesday, 28 December 2010

Just a quick hello to let you all know that we are enjoying our journey through Kenya.

It all started with a safari through Amboseli, Tsavo East and Tsavo West. We were very lucky to see a lot of animals (including lion, cheetah, leopard and a lot of elephants) passing us close by:

My birthday was spent hunting successfully (with a camera!) a lion:

Thank you for all your wishes left on the blog, on my mobile or elsewhere, much appreciated!
At night in the safari camp, a few of the locals approached me with a big cake singing a birthday song in Swahili:

After four days of safari, we rented a car and ever since we are cruising up and down the coast. At the moment, we are at the most northern part of Kenya, called Lamu. Beautiful islands surrounded by picturesque beaches.

Here is where I spent Christmas:

It is a bit difficult to find internet over here, but don't worry, I'm enjoying life as long as it lasts. I'm aware of the fact that in 5 days my life will look totally different...

Wednesday, 22 December 2010

It’s my birthday today, a very special date. 30 years ago I was lucky to be born in a sheltered home, surrounded by a loving family and great friends. I’d like to say THANK YOU to all of you.

You've offered me love, support and all kind of opportunities!

In about a week’s time I will leave my sheltered surroundings and step into a world were hope is all they have. 250 orphans are waiting to share their life with me. I’m sure that these kids have lots of wishes: clean drinking water, a school lesson or medication for their sick family members.

My only birthday wish is to make come true some of these wishes. If you would like to support me, the following account is set up especially to support the Kimilili Community. 100% of your donations will go directly to support improving their lifes:

Kühne Agnes

Finanzinstitut Zürcher Kantonalbank

Postfach

8010 Zürich

Bankclearing-Nr. (BC-Nr.) 700

IBAN CH0600700350042123226

Bankkonto-Nr. 3500-4.212322.6

SWIFT-Adr. (BIC) ZKBKCHZZ80A

Thank you for your support, it is much appreciated!

All the best for you!

Agnes

PS: A special birthday hug to my twin, all the best and thank you for making my life so rich! Te amo muito!

Monday, 20 December 2010

I made it to Nairobi. The reception at the airport by Rev Wasike and his wife have been very warm. After a quick 20 min drive we arrived at a neighbourhood outside Nairobi.

The house has no running water, but it is clean and very welcoming. We handed over all the donations collected and Rev Wasike and his wife were overwhelmed. Please find attached a picture of the happy faces of Rev. Wasike and his wife while getting one of the many laptops.

"This brings the Kimilili Community 10 steps ahead" was one of his many happy reactions. "We have been waiting and praying for your safe arrival".

As you can see, I am being well looked after. We chatted till early in the morning and exchanged cultural habits and customs. One of the facts that really amazed Rev Wasike was that every house in Switzerland has electricity! (In Kenya only about 25% have this luxury).

The fact that most chocked him (and this could easily be seen on his face) was the fact that man in Europe cook! This is definetly not possible in Kenya, many men don't even enter the kitchen!

Tomorrow morning I will start my safari trip, so probably I won't have access to internet for a while. However, I'm benig well looked after.

Rev Wasike even insisted in bringing us to the city center tomorrow morning so that he "could have a look at to whom I hand you over" :) Sweet, isn't it?

Thanks and take good care. We are waiting for you Alex and Thanks Lia for all your support!

Wednesday, 8 December 2010

As you know, Alex and I will volunteer at a non profit organisation called CBSM starting in January. But what does CBSM do?

Community Breakthrough Support Mission (CBSM) is a community of people helping to educate and care for 250 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Kimilili, Kenya. CBSM is concerned with eradicating poverty and improving the quality of the children’s lives by improving the livelihoods of the widows and guardians who care for them. One of the focuses of their work is creating practical solutions towards reducing poverty by setting up small-scale businesses that generate stable household incomes. To succeed, CBSM needs our expertise and financial assistance to set up and successfully run these projects.

For example, in 2009, CBSM held business and sustainable gardening training workshops. These workshops were made possible through private donations. The instructional material was collected from reliable online platforms. The trainers were Business & Economic university graduates who volunteered their time to train the community members. Two highly engaged community elders supervised the formation of various business co-ops and continue to support these initiatives.

Through collaborative work within the community, through the supervision of community elders, and through our willingness to offer practical and financial assistance, CBSM is enabling people to improve their lives and move towards a better future.

Alex and I will do our best to to support positive change in the lives of the CBSM community members and we THANK YOU ALL for your continues support! This is very much appreciated!

Monday, 6 December 2010

as you might know, Reverant Wasike is taking care of the 250 CBSM orphans in Kimilili. Over the last frew days, two emails from Kenya reached my inbox, both written by Rev. Wasike's wife Phylis.

"agness
My names are Phylis Nafula wife to Rev wasike.I have heard of your coming in cbsm board meetings and cbsm family we are expecting you together with alex .Iam mandate by cbsm board and women groups to resposne to all official communication in place of rev. wasike who by now is undergoing medication after feeling ill.Thank you for giving us flight details.I and my husband God willing shall be waiting for you at the airport beside the board memebers has also made necessary arrangement should rev wasike would have nit been fully recovered.he is doing quiet fine.
be assured we will be at the airport waiting.
please in kenya we are praying for your safe journey.
iam geting first experience on ineternational communication ,could there anything omitted or not well explained please be free to ask,i will make consultaions and come back to you as soon as it is necessary.God bless you Agness we are waiting to meet you
Mrs wasike"

Below an email that highlights the complexity of writing a simple emails in Kenya. Below email reached my inbox today:

"Dear Agness Rev wasike is still not very well but improving. unfortunately iam not conversant with computer,like other women in kenya computers knowledge is with few.i have to wait for afriend neigbour lady to be available,to leadme to inetrnet ,open up to in box and by subject of each email together decided to read and press reply to continoul this may have delayed communications,as myself cannot put on acomputer alone.that is the main reason you hardly hear from me. that aside Agness we are kindly waiting for you .welcome God bless you"

Communication might be difficult, however, our Kenyan friends make us feel very welcome.
We can't wait to arrive!

Monday, 29 November 2010

Kimilili is a town and area in Kenya's Bungoma District. The area is occupied mainly by the Bukusu and Sabaot communities. Its proximity to the fertile slopes of Mt Elgon, on the Kenya-Uganda border, has made it a trading center for agricultural goods and services. The town has an urban population of 10,251.

The surrounding region is mainly farmland, the main cash crops being coffee, maize, beans, sunflower seed and tea.

In past years, this region has suffered from land conflicts that have resulted in displacement of thousands. The famous Sabaot Land Defense Forces who were the aggressors and the main agitators of this conflict, have, however, been subdued by the government.

If you don’t feel save donating over a website, we've opened an account to support the Kimilili orphans. Donations on this account will only be used to improve their living conditions by supporting some of the above projects.

We promise pictures of every new item brought / project supported with that money!

Kühne Agnes

Finanzinstitut Zürcher Kantonalbank

Postfach

8010 Zürich

Bankclearing-Nr. (BC-Nr.) 700

IBAN CH0600700350042123226

Bankkonto-Nr. 3500-4.212322.6

SWIFT-Adr. (BIC) ZKBKCHZZ80A

Again, thanks for all your support. It warms our hearts realizing, how much support we are experiencing from all of you

After sending an email with a request for old laptops, cell phones and digital cameras to my work colleagues, I received the following feedback within 12 hours:Cell phones: 10Digital Cameras: 6Laptops: 7Deloitte Colleagues